MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027

Scope: The objective of this scheme is to tackle brain drain and precarity of researchers' careers to make Europe more attractive to the most promising young talents. Applicants submit proposals for talent recruitment programmes that will provide researchers holding a doctoral degree with excellent research and academic opportunities, potentially coupled with management activities, to lead them to concrete and attractive career prospects. This will have an impact on the enhancement of human resources in R&I at institutional, regional, national or international level. These programmes will be co-funded by MSCA Choose Europe for Science. The programmes will be divided into two phases. An EU-funded phase (24-36 months) in which the EU funding will cover direct and indirect costs related to the implementation of the programme and a phase funded fully by the beneficiary (24 months) in which the applicant is expected to set salaries attractive at a national level and ensure availability of the necessary internal or external funds to implement the project. Applicants should specify the order of the two phases in their proposals. Proposed programmes can cover any research disciplines. The selection procedure for candidates must be open, merit-based and with a transparent international peer-review in line with the European Charter for Researchers [1] . Alignment with the principles outlined in the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment [2] is also encouraged. Selection criteria should be based primarily on excellence. Additional selection criteria require clear alignment with local human resources needs identified in the relevant institutional, regional or national strategies. These must be described in the proposal and must be listed in the vacancy notice (to be widely advertised internationally, including on the EURAXESS website [3] ) alongside the gross salaries applicable to the two programme phases (net salary + employee’s taxes and contributions). Selected fellows will be able to define their own research topic at their host institution(s) and take on teaching or management tasks where relevant. The programmes should aim at offering excellent working conditions to researchers, including salary, professional resources, and career development. The career development should incorporate transversal skills but also job-specific skills and, where relevant, language courses to ensure that the training is in line with the career opportunities offered following the fellowship. These opportunities must include concrete and attractive long-term career prospects, such as pathways towards open-ended contracts, which can be subject to assessment and evaluation. There must be a fair, equal, inclusive, transparent, structured career accession and progression system providing access to these opportunities in line with the Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, the European Charter for Researchers in its annex and the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. A Career Development Plan must be maintained throughout the period of the Choose Europe for Science programme. This Plan comprises the researcher's career development needs, including training on languages, transferable skills, teaching, planning for publications and participation in conferences and events. The Plan should outline the projected career progression paths in the host institution. [1] Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe [2] agreement_final.pdf (coara.eu) [3] EURAXESS |

Eligibility and submission conditions

"> General conditions 1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. 2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide . 3. Other Eligible Conditions described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. 5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual . 5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes. 6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions described in the MSCA part of the Work Programme 2026-2027 Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA): Application form templates — call-specific application form [available in the future in the system] Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND CE) Evaluation form templates — call-specific evaluation form [available in the future in the system] Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) Guidance HE Programme Guide Model Grant Agreements (MGA) HE Unit MGA (reference document) call-specific HE Unit MGA [available in the future] Call-specific instructions   HE MSCA Choose Europe for Science 2027 Guide for Applicants [available in the future] Additional documents: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes HE Programme Guide HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764 EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509 Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual   Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions   Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

Programme context

MSCA COFUND co-finances new or existing doctoral programmes and postdoctoral fellowship schemes with the aim of spreading the best practices of the MSCA including international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary research training, as well as international and cross-sectoral mobility of researchers at all stages of their career. In practice, MSCA COFUND provides complementary funding for doctoral or postdoctoral programmes managed by entities established in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. Those co-funded programmes must follow MSCA’s good practice in terms of international recruitment and minimum standard of employment for the recruited fellows as described in the European Charter for Researchers. MSCA Choose Europe for Science co-funded programmes additionally aim to address brain drain and precarity of researchers' careers in order to make Europe more attractive to the most promising young talents. The scheme will allow applicants to link MSCA grants to competitions leading to long-term attractive positions in universities and other research performing organisations. Expected impact Proposals under this Action should contribute to the following expected impacts: Enhance talent and knowledge circulation across the R&I landscape, through international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility, including by supporting regional or national smart specialisation strategies when appropriate; Align practices with MSCA policies based on the European Charter for Researchers; Improve the attractiveness of researchers’ careers notably through better working and employment conditions as well as access to concrete long-term career prospects; Strengthen Europe's human capital base in R&I by training highly-skilled researchers; Increase Europe's attractiveness as a leading R&I destination; Enhance the quality of R&I contributing to Europe's sustainable competitiveness; Establish sustainable collaboration between academic and non-academic organisations; Foster the culture of open science, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Hivatkozott dokumentumok

agreement_final.pdf (coara.eu) Annex A Horizon Europe Programme Guide Online Manual Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) HE Unit MGA HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions